JK ROWLING TO HARRY STYLES: WHO ARE THE UK’S BIGGEST TAXPAYERS?

LONDON, Jan 31 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) --JK Rowling, Mo Salah and Harry Styles were among the UK’s 100 biggest taxpayers, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.

According to the annual Sunday Times Tax List, the rankings were topped for the first time by the billionaire brothers behind gambling giant Betfred, surpassing musicians, entrepreneurs and sporting stars.

Fred and Peter Done, who founded the Warrington-based business in 1967, made an estimated £400.1 million (US$548 million) tax contribution over the past year, according to the list.

It came after their tax bill jumped by almost half from £273.4 million a year earlier.

The list showed that the top 100 taxpayers paid a total of £5.758 billion worth of tax, up from £4.985 billion a year earlier.

Many on the list, including the Done brothers, paid more tax after changes to corporation tax rates and other taxes by the Labour government in a bid to support higher welfare spending.

Robert Watts, who compiled the list, said: “This is an increasingly diverse list, with Premier League footballers and world famous pop stars lining up alongside aristocrats and business owners selling pies, pillows and baby milk.

“This year there’s been a big jump in the amount of tax we’ve identified – largely because of higher corporation tax rates.”

Financial trading entrepreneur Alex Gerko was second on the list with £331.4 million in tax, followed by hedge fund boss Chris Rokos, who paid £330 million.

Elsewhere, former One Direction member-turned-solo artist Styles was among new entries to the list, paying £24.7 million in tax.

Two footballers also joined the list for the first time, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland appearing at number 72 on the list with an estimated tax payment of £16.9 million and Liverpool’s Salah believed to have a bill of £14.5 million.

Other well-known figures on the list included Harry Potter author Rowling, at 36 with a bill of £47.5 million, and musician Ed Sheeran, at 64 with a £19.9 million tax payment.

Six taxpayers feature on the list despite leaving the United Kingdom over the past year, amid reports of wealthy individuals moving to avoid higher taxes under Labour or due to the removal of non-dom status.

These included Revolut founder Nik Storonsky, Wren Kitchens founder Malcolm Healey and sports promoter Eddie Hearn.

Watts said: “One in nine of the people who make the tax list are no longer listed as resident here in the UK, instead choosing to live in Morocco, Dubai, Switzerland, Cyprus, Portugal, the United States and the Channel Islands.

“Clearly the tax listers who have moved offshore are still delivering huge sums to HM Treasury through their businesses, but the chancellor would no doubt be raising even more money from these people had they chosen to stay put and remain liable for personal tax here.”

-- BERNAMA-dpa